Young FLO organised its first interactive session with Mr. Bhagirat Merchant, the former chairperson of Bombay Stock Exchange. He took over BSE in 1994-1995 soon after the 1993 Bombay Bomb Blasts.
Mr. Merchant educated the members on the importance of a stock market to any economy. He emphasized that “Stock Markets are the barometer of an economy”
The session focussed on the importance of reading annual reports with stress on the “Management and Governance report” which truly portrays the growth of a company. He explained the components of Primary and Secondary markets and their relevance in our economy.
Mr. Merchant explained that innovation and dominance in any industry is the key to conqueror any sector. He differentiated between an “Investor” and a “Speculator” stating that an investor in someone who invests in the markets for a much longer period of time and is not hassled by the volatility of the markets, whereas a speculator is someone who invests for a shorter time period and gets easily affected by uncertainties.
Mr. Merchant had closely worked with the pioneer of the Indian economy, Late Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani for nearly 10 years and hence quoted many examples about Mr. Ambani’s bold futuristic strategies of those times. To end an informative evening, Mr. Merchant enriched the members by giving strategies on how to channelize their savings in gold, stocks and SIP’s. The evening ended with members bonding and networking over high tea.
